


"Nope, definitely not" (Secrets Behind Locked Doors)

by TheWeatherOfOurYouth



Category: Bastille (Band)
Genre: Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Random oneshot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-17 03:14:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28593072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWeatherOfOurYouth/pseuds/TheWeatherOfOurYouth
Summary: Dan tries to convince Charlie to join the band three different times. He's not very efficient.
Relationships: Charlie Barnes/Dan Smith
Kudos: 5





	"Nope, definitely not" (Secrets Behind Locked Doors)

Charlie doesn’t get angry with Dan easily, considering the ‘little’ crush he has on his boss, but this time he has managed to provoke him. He locked him in the basement of the One Eyed Jack’s studio and left him staring at the Wild World mural painting for three hours straight now. Way to go to thank a musician for lending his vocals to a record.   
He bangs on the door again, “Dan, let me out! This isn’t funny anymore, I need to pee very badly.”  
The response comes quickly, “Not until you agree on joining the band as a real member.”  
Dan has been obsessed with the idea of five members in his band over the past few weeks, but it never turned out as crazy before, like ‘locking up crazy’. Charlie wonders why it suddenly became so important to him. They agreed on his status as live touring-member a couple years back, next to his own solo-project, and he would like to keep it that way. Besides, why does Dan even want him as official member, he should been sacked by now.

Eventually, Mark threatens to lock them both up in the building if Dan doesn’t release him immediately. It is already evening by now and Charlie, out of sheer misery, peed in an empty bottle lying around. He hears a click produced by the door lock, followed by running footsteps. The door swings slowly open and Charlie stretches his sore muscles before hurrying up the staircase. Dan and Mark are already waiting outside to close the front door.

“For God’s sake Dan, I hate y-,” he snarls.

The words get lost in his throat when Dan grabs his wrist and yanks him outside before Mark can slam the door in his face. He looks at Charlie with these big innocent eyes of his and of course Charlie bends for so much charm.

“Thanks… Okay, I forgive you and your utterly ridiculous behaviour this time.”

Dan smiles his lopsided grin, “So, you’re going to join the band then?”

“Nope, definitely not.”

The next day, Charlie finds himself in the studio with the whole band. They had just wrapped up the recordings for the day and decided to have some fun with each other. They had fun indeed, with an innocent game of ‘Truth or Dare’, until Dan asks Charlie a question.

“Charlie, truth or dare?”

He had gone with dare the entire game, because he wanted to evade some tricky questions about his love-life. So he went with a dare again.

“Join the band or… kiss me.”

He wound himself up in a tough spot.

“You don’t have to do this one mate,” Woody comments after a couple seconds of deathly silence and throws a glare at Dan.

“Yes, he does! Don’t ruin the game,” Kyle whistles.

Charlie makes a decision and wanders forward until he stands right in front of Dan, who turns bright red at the sight.

“I didn’t think you would really do it,” he mumbles, looking slightly nauseous.

“Too late for regret now mate,” Charlie answers equally hushed.

“Wait. Kyle, put away your phone! Or not necessary, let’s do this outside.”

Charlie pushes Dan against the closed door as soon as they’re outside the room. He feels Dan’s back muscles tense under his hand, resting below the loose black shirt, before he connects their lips. The kiss is awkward, to say at least. Dan remains shocked until Charlie pulls back, that’s when he leans into the disappearing contact, stumbling forwards.

“You can still join the band,” Dan gasps.

“Nope, definitely not,” an equally flustered Charlie replies, slightly panting as well.

Another day in the studio lies ahead of them. Charlie has to do some backing-vocals today and he really needs to get started with his vocal cords warm-up. However, his mind is occupied with something else, regret. He shouldn’t gone along with it yesterday. Now, his first and probably only kiss with Dan, let’s be realistic, is some stupid outcome of a truth or dare game. Romance at its finest, but not really.   
Naturally, he runs into Dan in some quiet hallway. He looks around himself remarkably, as if he expects a bear to pop up behind him. When he passes Charlie, he pushes a piece of paper in his hands and disappears as quickly as possible. Charlie unfolds it carefully, discovering the familiar scribbling of Dan inside. His eyes scan across the message, which only consists of a few words.

_Join the band or give me a hand job, you’re choice. See you in the basement._

So, he hurries down the steps. 

Only Dan’s back is visible when he enters the dim lit space. The only thing that gives away his awareness of Charlie’s present is the slight straightening of his neck. Charlie keeps his distance, he is hardly inside the room before taking the floor.

“I’m doing neither of them, forget it. What is wrong with you?”

“Whatever, thought so,” he believes to understand from the other’s mumble.

Dan sinks deeper in his seat again, clearly done with the conversation already.

“Why do you want me to join the band so badly?”

Charlie still doesn’t understand. Why would Dan want him as an official member? Probably a money issue, that’ll be it. That has to be it, he can’t genuinely want someone as pathetic as Charlie in his band. He’s too niche to do well in a mainstream band. There are lots of musicians better than him out there.

“I wanted to keep you close for when I finally had the guts to tell you that- Whatever, I fucked everything up. I pushed you away.”

The silhouette begins to shudder and a couple of seconds later, Dan flees the room and Charlie has to switch out of his thoughts about what a failed musician he really is, to concentrate on this more pressing issue. He can dwell over it later, now Dan is priority. He shouts his name after him and starts the pursuit when that doesn’t seem to work. What the hell is happening with the singer?

It ends outside the building, around a corner. Dan’s body is slumped against the brick wall, tears running down his already wet cheeks. Charlie crouches next to him and puts an arm around his trembling shoulders.

“C’mon, tell me. What’s the issue?”

A pair of frightful blue eyes locks with his own.

“I liked you since the moment you set foot in the audition space. I was too afraid to tell you, I didn’t want to scare a perfect touring-member away. I didn’t want to scare you away,” it comes out in fits and starts, some words muffled by sobs. He thinks for a second and continues, “So I thought, let’s wait until you become an official member. But after three years, you’re still in the same position as before. And I started pushing, I’m really sorry.”

In astonishment, Charlie’s arm slips off Dan’s back and he sees the flash of hurt in the other’s eyes after the movement.

“I understand if you want to quit, don’t worry about the contract,” Dan says.

Charlie shakes his head and clarifies right after, “Yeah, you fucked up. But lucky for you, I believe in second chances.” He feels the strong urge to dry- or even better- to lick the tears away and mentally scolds himself for it. He says instead, “So, what do you say to a second chance for our first kiss?”

There forms a cautious smile on Dan’s face. 

He nods barely visible and adds softly: “I’d love to.” 

The second try is way better than the first one, like ‘multiplied by a factor thousand’ better. Charlie beams a smile at Dan, who shyly sends one back. 

“I mean, the offer is still on the table if you want to.”

“No thank you, but I’m definitely sticking around for a bit longer. I mean, if you really want me, I’m sure you could find someone more fitting-”

Dan fully smiles through his tears now, “You idiot, I can’t even think of a better fit than you. And I say that non-biased, by the way.”

“Sure,” Charlie says with a slight frown on his face that turns into a knowing smile. He continues with an hardly audible whisper, “But I’m glad the secrets are out in the open now.”

Dan snuggles up against Charlie’s chest, which isn’t easy given the fact that he is like a foot taller than his living pillow, but they make it work nonetheless.

“No more locking and bottling up, both figuratively and literally,” Dan continues the conversation after they’re finally settled.

Maybe the voice in his head that tells him he’s a failure should shut the hell up.

“We’ll make that work too, starting with giving me a spare key of all the rooms where you could lock me in,” Charlie grins through the mass of hair that hits his face when Dan lowers his head in embarrassment.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I'm not sure how this idea popped up in my head, it's so random, but I kinda like it.


End file.
